


Flashbacks

by spaceydreem



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Nott is there to help, caleb has a nightmare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:14:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27910600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceydreem/pseuds/spaceydreem
Summary: Caleb has a flashback. Nott is there to pull him back.(This is an old fic written before we got a bit more information on what went down the night of the Ermendruds' deaths and on Astrid and Eodwulf's personalities.)
Relationships: Nott | Veth Brenatto & Caleb Widogast, Nott | Veth Brenatto/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27





	Flashbacks

“This isn't right!” Caleb screams out, bolting upright in his bed. His heart feels like it’s going to break through his ribcage, pounding in time with the blood pulsing through his ears. His head snaps around the small room, and his eyes come to rest on Nott’s sleeping form at the foot of his bed. He freezes for a moment, staring intensely at the small form in front of him. She doesn’t seem to have heard his yelling. His breathing slows as he closes his eyes. A fiery silhouette fills his vision and rocks him back to reality. He shakes his head, deciding that he isn’t going to be able to fall back asleep in his current state. Blinking hard, he snaps Frumpkin into his arms. The cat nuzzles his face as he slowly moves to sit on the side of the bed, trying not to wake his goblin friend. He doesn’t need her to see him like this. Nott shifts slightly in her sleep, pulling her blankets up around her face.

Caleb takes advantage of this movement and stands, teetering slightly in exhaustion before walking over to the chair near the small window. He falls into it, staring out to the ground below. It’s a quiet summer night, the fields around the inn filled with fireflies and the hum of crickets. There’s a small campfire on the other side of the road, surrounded by a group of travelers. Caleb can hear their muffled voices, though he cannot hear what they’re saying. He’s too busy staring at the fire to care regardless. His nightmare slowly seeps back into his mind.

_"Astrid, grab that barrel- Edowulf, the wheelbarrow near the back. Block the door.” Bren instructed his friends, as he shoved a crate in front of the door to the small house. All the lights were out in the home, his parents long asleep. He knew his job. He had to eliminate any threat to the Empire. His parents were vile, disgusting traitors, their lives were nothing to the bigger picture. Bren stepped back, watching as the others finished their tasks. A smile flashed across his face as Astrid and Edowulf moved behind him. His hand darkens and flakes as a firebolt escapes his palm, blasting into the upstairs window, shattering it on impact. He shoots off two more in succession, hitting the two downstairs windows, quickly filling the house with smoke and flame._

_Suddenly, a scream fills his ears. His smile falls. This isn’t right. They should- another scream. No, no this isn’t right at all why-_

_“Bren! Bren where are y-” A piercing scream fills his ears as he stares, fixated on the flames in front of him. He falls to his knees. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong. This wasn’t like Astrid’s, or Edowulf’s. There were no screams then, why are there screams? Another, deeper scream fills his ears now._

_“No… no, this is…” He trails off, head in his hands. A hand touches his shoulder._

A hand touches his shoulder. His head snaps around, causing Frumpkin to jump from his arms. Nott leaps back, eyes wide, hand still extended. He’s shaking. “C-Caleb? I’m sorry, I just woke up and you were over here, and you were shaking so hard I just wanted to see if you were okay.”

Caleb blinks one, two times. He can’t seem to focus his eyes on her but he knows she’s worried. He doesn’t have to see the all-too-familiar crease of her brow to hear the edge in her voice. Her small frame moves closer, and he can feel her rough, calloused fingers on his arm. His body jerks away of its own accord, and Caleb forces out a quiet, “Sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize,” Nott responds, pulling her hands to her chest. She studies him for a moment before turning and walking back towards the bed. Caleb can hear her rummaging through her bag, but can’t bring himself to look at her. He stares at the floor, focusing on one knot in the wood until he swears he can see it swirling. A throat clears above him and he looks up. Nott’s arms are outstretched, each holding a flask. “I have water and booze. Which do you want?”

Caleb lets out a half-hearted laugh and points weakly to the one he recognises as her booze flask. She hands it to him before returning to her bag to deposit the water. The alcohol is stronger than he expected, and he lets out a cough as it burns its way down to his stomach. He looks back to the window. The fire is still going strong, but the people surrounding it seem to be sleeping now. Nott’s footsteps approach him from behind, but he doesn’t turn to look at her. He takes another drink before saying, “Nott, do you think,” he pauses, considering his words, “do you think that people who have done terrible things can be redeemed?”

“I think it depends what they’ve done.”

Another stilted laugh leaves Caleb’s mouth before he can stop it. He takes another drink. The flask is nearly empty- he makes a note to buy her more in the morning. Nott moves beside him, and he fights the urge to pull away as she leans her head on his shoulder. Her arm wraps around his back. They sit in silence like this for a moment, Nott’s thumb rhythmically rubbing his shoulder. Nott being close relaxes him somewhat, and he eventually leans his head down to rest on top of hers. She’s the first to break the silence.

“I don’t know what you did, Caleb. But I hope you know that whatever it was is less important to me than who you are now. And from where I’m sitting, you’ve saved my life more times than I can count. That makes you good in my books.”  
Caleb’s breath catches in his throat, and he feels tears prickling in the corners of his eyes. He’s not sure why, but something about the sincerity in her voice causes a deep sadness to spread through his chest. He doesn’t deserve her words. He doesn’t deserve her at all, if he’s honest with himself. Lifting his head from hers, he pulls away from his goblin friend. A saddened look spreads across her face until Caleb reaches down and pulls her onto his lap. He hugs her tightly to his chest. Her body is stiff for a moment before she hugs him back. She runs a small hand through his tousled hair. “I don’t know that I agree, Nott, but thank you.”

They sit like this for a moment, pressed together in a warm hug. Caleb’s breathing slowly returns to normal. Nott takes a deep breath and squeezes him harder before leaning back from the hug. Her eyes pass over his face for a moment, as if she’s trying to piece something together. His face grows warm. “You deserve more than you give yourself credit for, Cay. Why don’t you come back to bed? You at least deserve a good night’s sleep.”  
She shifts again, this time to press a soft kiss to his forehead before climbing down from his lap. Extending a hand to Caleb, she gives him a warm smile. The corner of his mouth twitches up. He takes her hand, letting her guide him to bed. She watches as he takes his usual spot before moving to take her spot. Caleb interjects, “Would you mind coming up here tonight?”

“Oh,” escapes Nott’s lips before she nods, climbing up beside Caleb. Caleb gives her a soft smile, laying his upturned hand between them. Nott takes it instantly, giving it a squeeze. She watches as he closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep.


End file.
